Our Community

Well met! I’m Kalista, and I co-admin Istari with my husband, Arius. We've run a few other sites together, from an old west Supernatural roleplay to a Tron Legacy board, but Istari is our first original creation. It was originally adapted as a D&D campaign setting for a group of friends, but I always loved the idea of mixing magic and technology to get both a classic and urban fantasy feel. I still enjoy playing tabletop D&D, but these days I tend to spend more time on writing and online roleplay.

Along with avid writing comes avid reading, and I always have at least one book going. I tend to bounce back and forth between urban or high fantasy and science fiction, but I also enjoy crime novels and a handful of the classics. I also love gaming on the Playstation and Nintendo 3DS. I love a wide variety of games, but the original Mass Effect trilogy is nearest and dearest to my heart.

I tend to be online from midday to late evening, depending on my work schedule, and I usually lurk throughout the day. I love working with coding and graphics, so if you’re having trouble with something or have questions about the setting, feel free to message me or hop into the chat box. I’m always open to feedback, and I hope you enjoy playing in Istari as much as I’ve enjoyed working on it!

Arius

Heyla! I'm Arius, one of the admins here on Istari, and Kalista's lucky husband. I love writing (obviously), especially horror, fantasy, and sci fi, though I've been known to dabble in poetry and even fanfiction in the past. Though I don't seem to find the time for them as much as I used to, I enjoy playing games, both video and tabletop, and if I'm not around on the site it's probably because I'm playing my PS4 or 3DS.

I'm a great devourer of all sorts of literature, from high fantasy epics to dry historical tales, from fiction to non-fiction, and even comic books, which I have a huge passion for. I co-own a small comic shop in my hometown, which is something of a dream come true for me,
and I've been collecting and reading comics and graphic novels since I was about five years old.

I'm usually around in the evenings to answer questions, play in the cbox, or even just shoot the breeze, so feel free to hit me up if you ever need anything!

Kay

Hey there! I’m Kay, Istari's moderator, and it’s nice to meet you! I’ve been roleplaying and writing for more than ten years and have been playing on Istari for about the whole time that it’s been open. I’ve known Kali and Arius for almost ten years now and actually got my online handler name from Arius. I’m a frequent writer and I do get distracted relatively easily as I’m always on social media sites. But currently I’ve been distracted with watching TV shows.

I’m an avid TV watcher ranging from Supernatural all the way to anime and nostalgia TV shows. Currently I’ve gotten myself stuck on Gargoyles. I’m also a classic anime fan, I’ve seen some of the newer animes, but the classics are my favorite. I’m also into a lot of superhero movies and horror movies, but movies in general are the things that I’m doing if I’m not writing.

I used to be a night owl, but given my 4am work schedule, I can be found lurking around here at high noon to about early evening, I’m a lurker so there will always definitely be someone there to answer your questions! Welcome to Istari!

Welcome to Istari!

Istari is a medieval realm where magic and adventures abound, existing seamlessly alongside modern-day Earth. Our original creation is full of heroes, fell creatures, danger, and excitement, and its boundaries are limitless. We welcome most medieval to modern-day fantasy and supernatural creatures, civilizations, races, and pantheons. Whether you favor one of the worlds exclusively or decide to play in both, the possibilities are endless, and there’s always room for one more!

We are an advanced roleplay with a friendly staff and players who are happy to answer questions. Because we sometimes deal with mature topics and themes, we are looking for responsible players who are 18 years or older. We also ask that our members be respectful, tolerant, and courteous toward others. We want everyone to have fun here!

Site Updates!

October 1st, 2017: New Character Month Returns!

Hey everyone! We're halfway into the Istaran year, and that means it's time for a special character event! Last year it was Second Chance Character Month, but this year we're doing a second New Character Month instead. During the month of October, you can post as many character applications as you want, without the need of an in-character post in between!

August 3rd, 2017: Improvements and New Staff!

Arius and I are pleased to welcome Kay to the team as Istari's new moderator! Kay has been with Istari since the beginning, and she's always been happy to jump in and lend a hand or answer questions. We're excited to have her on the team as we work to continue improving and expanding the site.

On that note, please make sure to read the latest announcement to find out what's in store! Aside from the addition of out of character accounts, the rules and plot have been revamped and we are working to make the site easier to navigate to improve plotting and networking between characters. Make sure you don't miss out on the details!

April 28th, 2017: Happy Four Year Anniversary!

Greetings all! This day marks our four year anniversary, and to celebrate that we've not only brought back New Character Month, but we've given the site a much-needed face lift! We hope everyone enjoys the new skin and features, and as always, if you have any questions, concerns, or anything else, don't hesitate to let us know!

January 1st, 2017: Time to Get Back on Track!

Happy New Year fellow travelers! We hope you all had fun and stayed safe over the holidays! Now that the fun and festivities are over, we will be resuming normal activity checks, starting on February 8th. Please remember that the post-holiday activity check is MANDATORY, as this is the time of year when we delete unused accounts and clean up the site. If you won't be around while the activity check is in progress, contact a staff member to make other arrangements!

May 29th, 2016: Slight Changes and New Features

Greetings all! There have been a couple minor changes to the Site Rules and Cbox Rules, so be sure to give them a read even if you think you have the rules well in hand.

Several new features have been added to the site, including Cbox Weather and a proper tag box!

April 29th, 2016: Happy Three Year Anniversary!

Congratulations and thanks to everyone for helping Istari reach this milestone! We really, truly couldn't have done it without you!

There are still a couple days left in New Character Month, so be sure to take advantage of it if you haven't already!

March 20th, 2016: Approaching Three Years

Greetings all! It's been a while since our last announcement, so even though there isn't really anything to "announce," we still like to touch base periodically.

April will once again be New Character Month, so if you have any ideas bouncing around in your head, that might be a good time to let them out!

Behind the Scenes

Istari is an original setting created by Kalista. All personal graphics and content belong to their original creators and are protected under Creative Commons usage. Taking, copying, or recreating our ideas, graphics, or coding will NOT be tolerated!

Forum graphics were selected from images listed as having open rights for noncommercial reuse. If you are the original artist and would like to be credited for your image, or if the image was listed incorrectly with open rights, please contact a staff member and the image will promptly be credited or changed.

Alex has visited places all over the world, and has met no small number of interesting people along the way. Not that she has much time to visit anyone or enjoy their company. Her position in the special forces military teams and her duties as Rana keep her on her toes most of the time, and she often spends long hours on patrol or training with her team. Many in Istari recognize her on sight, however, and she always makes time to relax for awhile when she does have a chance to spend some downtime back in Wolfhaven.

Enemies

Wolfhaven is also the only place where Alex feels safe enough to really let her guard down. As the second in command of the pioneering mixed-race combined military force and Rana of the Alkali, there are a lot of people gunning for her. Alex is used to dealing with threats, and as an alpha within her pack, she’s had to defend her position more than once. Her exploits as an Alkali warrior have also earned her a great number of enemies, and she often goes into situations expecting trouble.

Romances

That said, it should come as no surprise that Alex has little opportunity for romance. The demands of protecting her packs, both her true pack and her adopted one, have left her with an understandable lack of spare time. Still, she’s as red-blooded as any woman, and she’s not above a romantic interlude now and then. Even so, she refuses to sleep with any of her fellow servicemen, knowing it would only cause drama and undermine the effectiveness of the team. She’s also wary of sleeping with her pack mates. It would do nothing but complicate pack hierarchy, and like many wolves, she would prefer to find a life mate rather than a brief distraction. It might happen someday, but she doesn’t plan on stressing about it in the meantime.

Other

Alex has been to a lot of places and has seen a lot of things, so she’s pretty versatile where potential relationships are concerned. I may also be open to someone picking up a character from her history, so PM me if something sounds like fun. She’s active both on Earth and in Istari, and she’s best suited for action and adventure themed threads, although I’m open to anything. Other than that, we’ll see what happens!

Brennan is generally laid back and easy to like, and though she’s on the road a lot, she usually has no problem making friends. She knows many people on either side of the Gates, whether it be clients, contacts she’s made in her travels, or even those supernatural creatures who have vowed not to prey on innocents. Being a witch herself, she’s developed a pretty open mind when it comes to “monsters,” and she loves learning about all manner of different creatures and races while exploring. She’d go to the ends of the Earth – or Istari, for that matter – for those few individuals she’s closest to, and there’s nothing more important to her than protecting those she cares about.

Enemies

If a creature preys on humans, though, Brennan won’t hesitate to take necessary action. She’s driven and cunning on the hunt, and she’s made her share of enemies along the way. She holds a special hatred for dark spell casters who use despicable methods of obtaining their powers, or who use their natural gifts to harm others. They’re a perversion of everything she stands for, and she rarely passes up an opportunity to bring one to justice. She and her partner, Lily, will track down anything that preys on innocents, though, leaving her with a variety of species eager for her blood.

Romances

Fitting in romance can certainly be difficult with Brennan’s lifestyle, but she still maintains hope that she’ll find someone to share a long and meaningful relationship with. She does occasionally indulge in a brief liaison here and there, but for the most part she’s content to wait for the right person to come along. She’s more than a little interested in Lily, her partner and traveling companion, but she doesn’t want to do anything to sabotage the unlikely friendship they’ve cultivated over the years. This and a handful of other circumstances have discouraged her from making a move, but for now she's content to take things as they come, hoping to find a kindred spirit along the way.

Other

Brennan’s open for pretty much anything on either side of the Gates. She often comes in contact with civilians, other adventurers, and a variety of supernatural creatures, either as potential clients, or in her travels across the worlds. She’s versatile and good in many different situations, and I’m open to any ideas. I’ve intentionally left a lot of blanks in her history and in my plans for her, and who doesn’t have room for a few more friends and enemies? I’m just taking it as it comes with her, so hit me up if you’re interested in plotting!

Lydraea & Abigail: Okay I have a funny feeling she would hate Draea and this could make an amazing hate ship. Draea travels a lot throughout earth so I can pretty much make her be anywhere that Abigail would be for them to run into each other. As you know from reading her app, Draea is extremely sadistic, but she doesn't outright kill people or she would have been caught a long time ago. She likes playing mind games with people. Twisting their words around and spinning cunning webs using them. So enemies, no specific ideas, just trying to get Draea out there! <3

Also open to plots with your other charrie if you can think of anything

Hippo, I'm so sorry, I completely missed your post until I came in to clean things up after the activity check! I'm about to drop right at this moment, but I'd love to get together with you about plots tomorrow, once I've had some sleep. I look forward to threading together, if you're still interested!

ABSOLUTELY STILL INTERESTED! And now I have more babies than just Draea so drop me a note in my plotter or through a pm when we can get started on figuring out some ideas. I'm usually up for ANY kind of plot. And don't worry, it's very easy to miss plotter spam <3

I feel like these two would get along pretty well. If you are interested, we could even go as far as to say that Trip possibly sought out Brennan in the hopes of treating her mother, and that Brennan's magic is why Dairah isn't just dead? If you don't want that kind of tie in, there is still the option of them just both being adventurers that might happen into the occasional same circle? Either way, these two would probably get along, and I would love to plot them together a little. you're call, though, of course.

So we mentioned this, and I think it's about time we get going on getting these two in the same room together.
If you're into it, Jordan could be part of the special task force put together by the FBI to try to track her down. And they finally get a hit from a local police station where they apprehended her from "rigging" a police car to blow up after a routine traffic stop. Jordan goes to the police station to question and arrest Adeline, but then things happen and we just roll with it at that point.

I agree completely, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens with these two! Did you want to start with her at the police station and Jordan on her way or arriving, or did you have another starting point in mind? I'm also happy to start, or you're welcome to, whichever you'd prefer.